Manipulator



L.y IVERSEN MANI PULATOR v April 20 1926.

Filed August l. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l L. IVERSEN April v2o, 1926.

MANI PULAT OR Filed August 1, 1921 2 sheets-sheet '2 QN @No Patented Apr. 20, 1926. p

UNITED STATES A A1,581,842 I PATENT OFFICE.

LORENZ IVERSEN, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 MESTA MACHINE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION O F PENNSYLVANIA.'

MANIPULATOR.

applicati@ mea August 1, 1921. serial no. 489,139.

To all Iwhom 'it may concern.'

Be it known Lthat I, `LORENZ IvnRsnN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Manipnlators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. i My invention relates to manipulators and particularly to the tilting mechanism for manipulators.

An object of my invention is a combinationv of elements to produce a simple and practical manipulator wherein all the operating mechanism is vremoved from underneath the reversing table so as to render it accessible and avoid the trouble of a deposit of scaleand dirt which drops through the table. y

A further object of my invention is such a device wherein the driving mechanism is located on a firm foundation removed from the table and wherein the mechanism mount'- ed on the side guard of the table is reducedas stops to limit the movement of the memto a minimum.

A further object of my invention ismeans for transmitting oscillatory motion from th/e driving Lmeans to the manipulating devices through shafts which are. not parallel to each other. i The preferred form of my invention is an arrangement wherein the shafts for transmitting vthe oscillatory motion are at right angles to each other but my invention'is :by no means limited to that arrangement.

Further objects will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the drawings illustrating one form of my invention, and in which:

Figure 1 is a yplan view of the manipulater embodying my invention;

gigure'2 is a sectional elevation thereof; an

Figure 3 is a cross section on line III-III of Figure 2. V

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated the usual roll table 2. A moving side guard 3 carries a shaft 4 journaled at 5 and 6. This shaft has operatively secured thereto a helical gear wheel 7 which meshes with a similar gear 8 on a shaft `9, also carried by and journaled in the moving side guard.,

The shaft 4 is provided-with universal joints 25 and 26, so'as to permit of easy -versely of the table.

rotationl of the shaft if the shaft becomes distortedl -by reason of the heat of the piece being manipulated as is often ,the case. The members 5 are provided with ball'journals to allow for any misalignment of the sectionsdof the shaft 4 with respect to the side guar y The side guard 3 has racks 10 attached thereto which are operated by pinions 11, driven by a motor 12. The shaft 9 has a squared portion 13` which'passes through a correspondingly squared collar 14 having turned ends journaled at 15 in a. frame 16, which rests upon a iirm foundation 17 separated from the table. A link 18 isy connected `rigidly to the collar 14 and is operated by a suitable motor 19 throu h a pin and slot arrangement shown in etail in Eigure 3.

Mounted on the shaft 4 are links 20 which carry at their outer ends manipulating members 21vf1'ee at their lower ends and provided with lifting portions 22. The links 2() are provided withprojections 20a which act bers 21 around their pivotal points on the links 20 when the side guard is moved trans- The invention may also comprise the usual movable side guard 24 opposite the guard 3.

Figure 2 shows a manipulating member 21 in its lowermost position 'in full lines, and the same memlber in its uppermost Aposition in dotted lines. The lifting portions 22 engage a piece 23 to be manipulated and raise the same from the position showin in c full lines in Figure 2 to the position shown in dotted lines in that ligure.

The' operation of my device is as follows The manipulator is moved transversely into proximity to the piece to be manipulated by means of the rack, pinion and motor 10, 11 and 12, respectively the, squared portion '13 of the shaft 9 sliding longitudinally through the member 14 during thisoperation. The shaft 9 is then oscillated so as to bring the manipulating elements 21 to a position to turn the piece through 90, oscillation of the shaft 9 being effected through the motor 19 which is placed on a firm foundation away from the table. During the turning movement the weight of the piece being turned will hold the backs of the manipulators against the guards 3, so

that during the turning movement the manipulators will be moved in a plane coincident with the plane of the surface of the guard over which the manipulators slide. In turnin ,pieces of certain shapes the opposing si e guard 24 may be used to assist the manipulating elements. This is accomplished by lifting the piece to a position so that when the opposing guard is moved up against the piece its rotation will be completed. This is a common method used in this art. The above operation is repeated each time it is desired to turn the piece.

From the foregoing it will be evident that my invention has many advantages result ing from the simple construction and arrangement of the parts, particularly in that the shafts 4 and 9 are at an angle to each other and the manipulating power is transmitted to the manipulating elements from a source of power removed from the table and resting upon its own foundation, thus greatly relieving the manipulator of complication and weight and generally improving the efficiency of the machine.

Vhile I have described one embodiment of my invention in detail, I desire it to be understood that I am not to be limited to the exact arrangement shown and described, as many modifications may be made in the details Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described,

a roll table, a .shaft above the plane of the table rolls, manipulators free at one end con nected to said shaft and arranged to extend below the tops of the rolls, slides over which the manipulators move, and xedly mounted means for oscillating said shaft, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, a roll table, a shaft above the plane of the table rolls, manipulators connected to said shaft and arranged to extend below the tops of the rolls, power means to move the shaft and manipul`ators longitudinally of the rolls, and ixedly mourted means for oscillating said shaft, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a roll table and a device for manipulating blanks thereon, said manipulating device comprising a side guard mounted for movement along the rolls of the table and above the roll`s,`a shaft carried by the guard and adapted to be moved over the rolls, manipulators free at one end connected to said shaft, hooks on said free ends of the manipulators arranged to engage the bottoms of blanks on the rolls, means on the guard for controlling the line of travel of the free ends of the manipulators and fixedly mounted meansfor oscillating said shaft, substantially. as described.

4. In a manipulator, the combination of manipulating elements, a shaft for operating -the axis ofthe second shaft bein said elements, a shaft at an angle to said first shaft for oscillating `said first shaft, power means for operating 'said second shaft, and means for moving said second shaft longitudinally relative to said power means.

5. The con'ibination of a roll table and a device for n'ianipulating blanks thereon, said manipulating device comprising aside guard mounted for movement along the rolls of the table and above the rolls, a shaft carried by the guard and adapted to be moved over the rolls, manipulators connected to said shaft, hooks onsaid manipulators arranged to engage the bottoms of blanks on the rolls, power means for moving the guard and manipulators along the rolls, a second shaft extending laterally from said roll table, and means having a sliding connection with said second shaft for oscillating said first lmentioned shaft, substantially as described.

(i. A manipulator for articles on a roll table, comln'ising a 'guard above the rolls of the table, a shaft journaled on the guard, manipulating members connected to the shaft and having hooks on their lower ends,

means supported independently of said table ,l

and manipulator for oscillating the shaft to raise and lower the hooks, and power means for moving the guard and manipulators along the rolls, substantially as described.

7. A manipulator for articles on afroll table, comprising a guard above 'the rolls of the table, a shaft journaled on the guard, manipulating members connected to the shaft and having hooks on their lower ends, a second shaft extending angularly relative to the first shaft, gearing connect-ing said shafts, a rocker for slidingly engaging the second shaft and connected to rock the shaft with the rocker, means to rock the rocker, and means to move the guard along the rolls of the table, substantially as described.

8.1 In a manipulator, a plurality of manipulating elements, separate shaft sections for said elements, universal joints between the shaft sections, and means for actuating the shaft sections.

9. In a manipulator, the combination of manipulating elements, a shaft for operating said elements, a link connectin said shaft to each of said elements, each e ement being pivotel to one of'said links and a stop for limiting the movement of said ele- -ments around its pivotal point in one direction, and means for operating said shaft. lOt In a device of the character described, a roll table, a uard movable across the table above the rol s, a shaft journaled on theguard whose axis is normal to the axes of -the rolls, manipulators connected to the shaft, a second shaft journaled on the guard,

substantially normal to the axis of the rst shaft, gearing for directly connecting the two and power means for oscillating the rocker,

substantially as described. 11. In a device of the character described, a roll table, a guard movable across the table above the rolls, a shaft journaled on the uard whose axis is normal to the axes n of t e rolls, manipulators connected to the shaft, asecond shaft journaled on the guard, the axis of the second shaft being.

substantially normal to the axis of the first shaft, gearing for directly connecting the two shafts to each other, a fixed bearing,

a rocker journaled in said bearin there being a connection between: the roc er and the second shaft whereb the shaft is arranged to be oscillated y the rocker but is adapted to move longitudinally relative thereto, power means for oscillating the rocker,- and means for moving the guard and manipula-tors back and forth across the table relative to the "rocker, substantially as described.

12. In a device of the character described, a roll table, .a guard movable across the table above the rolls, a shaft journaled on the guard whose axis is normal tothe axes of the rolls, manipulators connected to the shaft, a second shaft journaled on the guard, the axis` of the second shaft being substantially normal to theaxis of the first shaft, gearing lfor directly connecting the two `shaftsto 4each other, a fixed bearing, a rocker-journaled in said bearing, and sul'.- rounding the second shaft, the arrangement being such that the shaft is oscillated with the rocker butis permitted to move longi tudinally therethrough, and power means for oscillating the rocker, substantially as described.

13. In a device of the character described, a roll table, a shaft above the plane ofthe table rolls, manipulators free at one end connected to said shaft and arranged to extend below the tops of the rolls, guiding means for the manipulators, power means supported independentl of the roll table and of said device and aterally` of th roll table, and means operatively interconnecting said power means and shaft for oscillating said shaft.

14. In a manipulator, the combination of manipulating elements, a sectional shaft for operating said elements, the elements being operatively connected to a plurality of sections of said shaft, connections between the septions of said shaft permitting relative angular movement between such sections, and means for operating said shaft.

15. In a manipulator, a plurality of manipulating elements, a flexible shaft, different manipulating elements bein operatively connected to relatively mova le portions of such shaft, and means for operatingsaid shaft.

16. A manipulator for articles on a roll table, comprising a guard above the rolls of the table, a shaft journalled on'the guard,

manipulating members connected to the shaft and having hooks on their lower ends, a second shaft extending angularly relative to the rst shaft, power 4transmitting means o eratively connecting said shafts, a rocker or slidably engaging 'the second shaft for rocking said shaft, means to operate said rocker, and means to move the guard along the rolls of the table.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

' LORENZ IvERsEN. 

